Musical instrument



July 29, 1941. R. w. FATHAUER MUSICAL INSTRUMENT v 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 26, 1940 Pa/p/z W FEM/mater:

July 29, 1941. R. w. FATHAUER 2,250,827

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT Filed June 26, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I! I E 4 V///////l//////////////////////////////////////////;////) Ralph W. Faf/muer;

Patented July 29, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MUSICAL INSTRUMENT Ralph W. Fathauer, Cleveland, Ohio Application June 26, 1940, Serial No.,342,577

4 Claims.

This invention relates to musical instruments in which means are provided for mechanically playing a predetermined series of notes.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved musical instrument by means of which a predetermined tune may be played mechanically and repeated as often as desired, and which can be changed to play any other desired tune.

The present invention is an improvement in that type of musical instrument in which a series of hammers are caused to strike a series of note-producing or tone plates, and the improvement includes the provision of novel means for actuating said hammers in a predetermined order and for changing that order at will.

The present invention consists in the novel form, combination and arrangement; of parts hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings and claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a musical instrument constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical section on line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical section on line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an enlarged central sectional View taken transversely through one of the hammeractuating wheels; and

Figure 5 is an enlarged "perspective view of one of the hammers.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, the present invention includes a bed or base plate 5 on which are mounted a pair of brackets 6 and Ba in which is journaled a horizontal shaft "I. Fixed on and rotatable with the shaft 1 are a plurality of pulley-like wheels 8 having their hubs arranged in contiguous relation and each having spaced peripheral flanges 9 formed with pairs of alined openings I0 arranged in a circular series about the periphery of the Wheel, the pairs of openings being uniformly spaced circumferentially of the wheel, and the openings of each pair being adapted to selectively and removably receive a cross pin II. While the shaft I may be rotated by any suitable means, I have shown the same as provided with a driving motor I2 operatively geared to one end of said shaft I, the bracket 6a being in the form of a gear-reduction case containing reduction gears which operatively connect the armature shaft of motor I 2 with the adjacent end of said shaft 1.

The pins I'I control the playing of the desired notes, and they may be arranged in any desired pairs of holes in the wheels 8. Upon rotation of the wheels 8, the pins are caused to engage and actuate a series of hammers I3, one of which is arranged in line with each wheel 8. Each hammer comprises a metallic or nonmetallic head I4 and a lever I5 pivoted on a rod I6 which is supported in suitable brackets I'I secured to the bed or base 5. Near corresponding ends, the hammers are provided with lateral oppositely extending angular lugs I8 having upwardly projecting outer portions provided with transversely alined openings I9 for loose reception of the rod I6. The lugs I8 of the ham mers are in contiguous relation so that they effectively space the levers I5 the required distances apart. The rod I6 is mounted so as to position the hammers with their shorter ends 20 disposed in the path of the pins II carried by the wheels 8.

The brackets I! also support a stop bar 2I which keeps the hammers I3 normally at a slight distance above the note-producing or tone plates 22, and which also prevents the hammers from striking the plates 22 more than once for each actuation of a hammer, as well as preventing the hammers from damping the tones.

A spring 22 is associated with each hammer for swinging the same in a direction to strike the associated tone plate 22 when the hammer is released from a pin II of the associated actuating wheel 8. As shown, each spring 22 is coiled about the rod or shaft I6 between the lugs I8 of said hammer, one end of each spring being engaged with another rod 23 supported by the brackets I"| above the rod or shaft I6, and the other end of each spring being engaged with the adjacent end of the associated hammer I3.

The hammers I3 cooperate with a series of the note-producing or tone plates 22. The plates 22 are mounted on the flanges of a trough 24, suitable strips of felt 25, or the like, being inserted between the plates 22 and the supports, and nails 26 or the like being used to hold the plates 22 in place.

When the pins II have been arranged in the desired alined openings of the wheels 8, the shaft 1 is rotated so to cause rotation of said wheels 8. This will cause the pins I I in the various wheels 8 to successively engage the corresponding levers I5 and lift the hammers I3. The continued rotation of the wheels 8 causes the pins to slide off of the levers, permitting the respective hammers to drop and strike the stop bar 2| with a movement accelerated by the springs 22'. Due

to the elasticity of the levers l5, which are made of resilient material, the hammers will strike the note-producing plates 22 and cause them to suecessively emit their characteristic notes. This will be repeated as the wheels are turned, until the entire tune has been played, and the latter may be repeated as often as desired. Having played this particular tune as much as desired the operator can then change the positions of the pins l l to play any other desired tune in a similar manner.

From the foregoing description, it is believed that the construction and operation, as well as the advantages of the present invention will be readily understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art. Minor changes in the details of construction illustrated and described are contemplated, such as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What I claim as new is:

1. In a musical instrument, the combination of a plurality of pivoted hammers, and means for mechanically actuating the hammers in a given order to play a tune, said last-named means comprising a plurality of wheels rotatable in unison, one for each hammer, each of said wheels having spaced radially disposed peripheral flanges provided with pairs of transversely alined transverse openings arranged in a circular series about the periphery of the wheels, and pins removably positionable in selected pairs of said openings for engaging the hammers.

2. A hammer for striking the note-producing means of a musical instrument, comprising a strip of resilient material and a head, the resilient strip being provided near the end remote from the head with oppositely extending lateral angular lugs having upstanding outer ends provided with transversely alined openings adapted to receive a pivot.

3. In combination, a hammer for striking the note-producing means of a musical instrument comprising a strip of resilient material and a head, the resilient strip being provided near the end remote from the head with a pair of laterally extending angular lugs having upwardly projecting ends provided with transversely alined openings, a pivot rod passing through said openings, and a spring encircling the pivot rod between the upwardly projecting ends of the lugs, each spring having an upper end anchored and a lower end engaging the adjacent end of said strip of resilient material whereby to swing the hammer downwardly.

4. In a musical instrument, means for mechanically actuating the hammer for striking a note-producing means of a musical instrument, comprising a pulley-like wheel having spaced radially disposed peripheral flanges, said flanges being provided with pairs of alined transverse openings arranged in a circular series about the periphery of said wheel, and pins removably positicnable in said openings.

RALPH W. FATHAUER. 

